This is Gretchen, and I’m always thrilled to see her because her brain sponges up such satisfying facts. For example:
Were you aware that some studies have shown that when women are looking to reproduce, they’re attracted to men who smell biologically disparate? However, when they get pregnant, they’re attracted to men who smell like family, ostensibly because family will be more likely to protect the offspring. BUT! The pill mimics pregnancy. Which could mean that some types of pill cause you to fall in love with a man who is biologically similar, reproduce with him, and then find his smell unattractive when you’ve gone off the pill, sometimes leading you to break things off with him. What the what?
Gretchen is good for a few dozen of those life-altering facts over an evening, which is why I always pull her down next to me at dinner.
Gretchen also happens to be the author of the bestselling Happiness Project, and the soon-to-be-released Happier at Home (which will hit shelves September 4 and is now available for pre-order), both of which document Gretchen’s curiosity about ways to improve her life — she also has a site dedicated to the process that has some useful suggestions. The Go Mighty team and the gracious Isabel Kallman hosted a book release party for Happier at Home in New York last week, and some of our favorite women gathered to celebrate happiness.
Laura documented all the details over here. There was champagne, and donuts (Donuts 2012!), and lots of women laughing, which is the best.
There were also gift bags. Want one?
Bliss supplied a generous helping of good-smelling body and bath products, and Anthropologie gave us pretty wall calendars.
We also have five copies of Happier at Home to give away. To enter, just tell us what makes you happy in comments. In fact, will you please tell us three things? I like to read them. Fingers crossed for you.
Top and bottom images by Mighty Girl. Other images by Sheri Silver from www.sherisilver.com.
UPDATE: Comments close Monday, August 13. Until then, keep ’em coming:
Mighty Girl 
Ice cream
Big salty ocean waves
Nice cold IPA in a big pilsner glass
(What can I say, it’s summertime!!)
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watching my five year-old swim, drinking coffee in bed, clean sinks
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1. The way my dogs are freak-out-happy to see me when I get home from work.
2. Making cake for my mom. She loves cake as much as I do!
3. Thinking of my future with my husband and maybe a baby!
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It makes me happy when I find a new author, when my daughter tells me her brother is her best friend and when sheets smell of sunshine.
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Singing in the car.
A clean house and a well-stocked kitchen.
Book stores.
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Three things that make me happy:
1. Reading a good book
2. Fishing with my husband
3. My dog and two cats
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1. Iced coffee on a hot day
2. Lazy days at the beach with my family
3. Sloppy kisses from my kiddos
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(in no particular order)
1. reading a really really good book late at night when everyone else is asleep
2. eating apricots straight off my tree
3. going to the dog beach with my pit bull and my husband
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My happiness peaks when my three year old answers my question, “how much does mama love you,” with “forever and ever, no matter what!”
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3 happy things right now:
1. Watermelon!
2. Going to the theater for less $$ than going to a movie
3. Those NASA engineers when they announced the Mars rover had landed — talk about a happy, proud, tearful room. Really inspiring. Makes me want to go to SPACE (note to self: add to lifelist)
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Gabby Douglas!
Watermelon, feta and mint salad
Savasana
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1) a clawfoot bathtub, a spare hour, and a good book
2) hearing “Boys of Summer” by surprise on the car radio
3) a perfect, in-season tomato salad
4) how hard my boyfriend laughs at sports bloopers
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1) my baby girl’s laugh ….smile….sweet noises….basically anything that has to do with her
2) when my husband unloads the dishwasher…seriously, it does good things for my soul
3) clean crisp sheets when I am so tired
And an extra,
4) how excited my dogs get when we get to take a nap…they are always up for a good sleep 🙂
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1) Giggling in the dark with my love
2) Reading under a shady tree
3) Real mail that comes in the mailbox from someone I love. Even more so if it’s random, unexpected and full of strange things!
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1. having conversations with my 3.5 year old
2. being near the ocean (and then being able to smell it on my skin, clothes when i’m back home)
3. finishing a really good book
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Three things that make me happy:
1. Black tea – I mean really black – with cream and sugar. I know that sugar is poison. I know that cream is the devil. But tea without these things is just so depressing.
2. The weekend brunch at Camino in Oakland. It’s like the coziest brunch at home, with way better cooks (and service). They also give you a teeny tiny spoon and teeny tiny glass of sugar for your tea. It’s like I’ve fallen into a vortex of happiness.
3. When my husband talks in his robot voice. It makes me giggle maniacally. I especially like it when he tries to communicate with GPS systems this way.
Bonus #4: When people pronounce ambulance, “am-bu-LANCE.” I love those people.
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1. Having cocktails with a few close friends and laughing until we’re gasping for air and tears stream down our faces.
2. Boating at dusk after a great day of tubing and waterskiing. Watching the sun go down while the wind whips through my hair and being so thankful for a joyful summer day.
3. The way my daughter curls her arm up and places her hand on my cheek during her last bottle before bed. It makes my heart swell every time.
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What makes me happy:
1. Taking both my dogs for a walk and looking and their totally present, totally blissful and excited faces. Seeing THEM happy makes me so happy.
2. The feeling of my partner reaching for me to hold me in the middle of the night. That feeling of comfort and family is so lovely.
3. Books. Books, books and more books. Total happy right there.
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A good hug. A good compliment. A good piece of dessert.
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Really good jam with really good crackers/bread and a really good book. I know I’m holding some great literature in my hands when all my meals become finger-food-based (or something I can stab with a fork without looking), so that I can hold my book and eat too.
Hiking near wildflowers. California is beautiful, even if summer hikes mean I have to be alert for rattlesnakes. It’s just adorable to see Western Fence Lizards do their little “push-ups” when they see blue jeans.
Walks with my best friend. We used to do this three times a week. Now that she’s moved a quarter-of-tank-of-gas away, it’s more like once every two months, and I cherish them even more now.
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1. A long soak in a hot bath. No matter how crappy my day at work or how crushing the stresses of everyday life feel, an hour in the tub helps make it bearable. I lay back, occasionally use my foot to turn on the hot water to keep it steamy, and let my mind wander to the places that bring me comfort.
2. The wonderful four-legged family members, all 4 rescues, who complete our household. The most recent addition (currently asleep on my feet) a kitten miraculously plucked from a four-lane road in rush hour traffic. And the fact that our grown daughters learned our love of animals from childhood and now have four-legged family members
3. The Internet that connects me to the wider world. Circumstances have me in the heart of the conservative deep-south with values that are completely out of sync with practically everyone around me. The Internet allows me to connect with a like-minded community and reminds me I’m not alone in the wilderness.
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1. Snow days (I’m a teacher.)
2. My husband’s smile lines around his eyes
3. My dog snuggling up to me on the couch (He’s 100+ lbs, so it’s pretty hilarious when he things he’s a lap dog.)
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I often think about this when asked at yoga. My three things: my husband, my daughter, and my son.
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Frozen yogurt, chai tea lattes, Mexican cokes. Yes, I’m hungry.
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1) the finish line of a marathon
2) spooning with my cat
3) voting
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Finding the time to meditate. That makes me happy.
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1. all the stormy skies
2. pulling weeds in the garden with my 3 year old
3. my family showing up in the kitchen window (at my work) when i wasn’t expecting them
and, bonus!
4. my 11 month old barking back at big friendly dogs (mmmmriumph!)
5. my sweetheart’s eyes, just about always
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(1) My daughter’s giggle
(2) A cup of coffee during nap time
(3) A good sweaty run in non-humid 70-80 degree weather.
(4) When my dog greets me when I come home.
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… and thanks for asking about happiness. there are like 500 responses, and i don’t think they are for the prize. it’s nice to have a minute to be thankful. it’s a good sentence to complete. 🙂
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-baseball
-running jokes that get sillier and sillier
-sunshine
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a semi toothless grin
nice pajamas
sidestepping bad luck
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1. My family
2. Feeling my unborn baby kick
3. Bacon!
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Let’s see . . . taking a nap snuggling with my dog, eating dark chocolate, and smelling an old library book.
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Happy Times:
1) Looking in the rearview mirror to see my son and daughter conspiring or sharing a private joke.
2) Soups in the fall!
3) Men with crinkle eyes when they smile.
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Watching reruns of The Office with my husband and secretly imagining us as Jim and Pam
That feeling you get when sitting outside after swimming, when you’ve gotten dressed and your body is so cozy and warm, but your hair is still wet and a breeze brings, like, this epic sensation
Finally getting through the endless summer line at a local deli and getting Nutella-flavored ice cream in a freshly-made waffle cone to enjoy while walking through town
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Making me happy: morning snuggles with my son, swimming in the ocean and iced coffee.
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1. When it’s free to add bacon to your sandwich! (Bacon 2012!)
2. Suntan lines on my feet.
3. Sunday night card games.
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1. spending time with my nieces
2. making my nieces laugh (best sound in the world, and I do many silly things to hear it)
3. having a Saturday to myself, with no obligations, and potential to do anything
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A. Playing my banjo on Sunday after church
B. buying a bottle of Yoo-Hoo and drinking it in the car on the way home from the store
C. When my best friend texts all the way from Utah just to say hi
D. (sorry, I need to tell you four things) Monsoons, and the giant frog orgies that immediately follow monsoons in the empty lot in our neighborhood
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1) Twilight Concert Series at the Santa Monica Pier. My happy place. Bliss.
2) Curling up in bed with my dog at my feet
3) A blissfully warm shower. My favorite shower products. All the time in the world.
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Painted toenails, hearing my kids crack each other up, sleeping in.
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#1: having a walk on the beach
#2: spend time with my husband – not doing anything particular, just spending time together
#3: receiving an email from my closest friend – staying 10,000 kms away from me –
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What makes me happy….
1. A night off in the middle of an insanely busy week
2. Discovering new foods I like to eat because I grew them in the garden just because I could (mizuna!)
3. Kicking my shoes off and sitting in the autumn sun every lunchtime and warming my toes!
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I loved the Happiness Project- so excited about the author showing up on my fav blog!
Three things:
1. Remembering to look up: trees, sunset, stars, sky..
2. Singing the Doxology (“praise God from whom all blessings flow..”) on Sunday mornings
3. Nuzzling (or as I like to think of it, condensed snuggling)
-Megan
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1. crossing things off
2. the color yellow
3. my little nephew calling to say hello
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1# An unexpected compliment
2# Afternoons in the park spent just sitting, people watching, maybe sipping wine or reading a good book.
3# Running. Yes I know this is a bit out there, but overall in life? Running has made me happier person.
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3 things that make me happy:
clean white sheets
seeing a favorite musician live (at the Fillmore)
the 2nd half of a great book
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HAPPY:
no. 1. biking until I can’t anymore and then jogging up a hill
no. 2. sinking into a good book and realizing it gets better and better
no. 3. looking in the mirror and not seeing a fat/tired/bored/jaded girl, but ME!
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Right this moment:
1. The sun shining in my face after a gloomy summer
2. The taste of my first cup of First Flush 2012 black tea – Fair Trade
3. The thought of winning this book (o:
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1. Sunshine! I live in Ireland and it’s a rarity – this summer has actually been a washout…
2. Sunday mornings; coffee, brunch and the papers, the simple pleasures in life!
3. Spending quality time w/ my husband, family and friends. 🙂
I could go on… if you choose to have an attitude of gratitude there are so many reasons in life to be happy.
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